DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen Patent no. US 7,233,475.
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses an electrical overstress protection device, configured to protect a core circuit, the core circuit receiving a signal through a communication signal terminal, and the electrical overstress protection device comprising:
an impedance switching element [Fig. 5, transistor 54], comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the impedance switching element is coupled to the core circuit [Fig. 5, emitter terminal of 54 is coupled to the internal circuit 13]; and
an electrical overstress protection element [Fig. 5, transistor 52], comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the electrical overstress protection element is coupled to the second terminal of the impedance switching element [Fig. 5, the body terminal of 52 is coupled to the collector terminal of transistor 54], and the second terminal of the electrical overstress protection element is coupled to a reference voltage [Fig. 5, second terminal of 52 is coupled to VSS], wherein
when in a normal operation, the impedance switching element controllably provides a high impedance to be turned off [Fig. 5, during normal operation (no ESD), transistor 54 does not get triggered and off]; and
when in an electrical overstress discharge operation, the impedance switching element provides a low impedance to be turned on to release a charge to the reference voltage through the electrical overstress protection element [col. 2 lines 58 to col. 3 lines 37].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 2: The prior art does not disclose that the core circuit comprises a switch element for turning off or turning on the path from the communication signal terminal to receive the signal and to transmit the signal to the core circuit. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 4: The prior art does not disclose that the core circuit provides a control signal to control the impedance switching element to turn on or turn off, the impedance switching element comprises an impedance switching circuit, and the impedance switching element further comprises a switch driver or an electrical overstress detection circuit; the impedance switching circuit comprises a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the impedance switching circuit is coupled to the first terminal of the impedance switching element, and the second terminal of the impedance switching circuit is coupled to the electrical overstress protection element; and the switch driver comprises an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal of the switch driver is coupled to the core circuit to receive the control signal, and the output terminal of the switch driver is coupled to a control terminal of the impedance switching circuit; or the electrical overstress detection circuit comprises an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to an input terminal of the core circuit, and the output terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the impedance switching circuit. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 12: The prior art does not disclose that the electrical overstress protection element comprises a transient voltage suppressor. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 13: The prior art does not disclose that the communication signal terminal is coupled to an antenna, and the core circuit receives the signal from the antenna through the communication signal terminal. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 14: The prior art does not disclose that the core circuit further comprises a communication signal release element, wherein the communication signal release element is able to be controllably turned on to conduct the signal received by the core circuit to the reference voltage when in the normal operation. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 15: The prior art does not disclose that the electrical overstress protection element has noise greater than -70dBm in a frequency range of 10KHz to 10GHz. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 16: The prior art does not disclose that the signal is compliant with Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS). This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Claims 17-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 17: The prior art does not disclose a communication system, comprising: a communication signal terminal; a core circuit, the core circuit comprising a switch element and a communication signal release element, wherein a first terminal of the switch element is coupled to the communication signal terminal, and the communication signal release element is connected across a second terminal of the switch element and a reference voltage; an impedance switching element, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the impedance switching element is coupled to the communication signal terminal; and an electrical overstress protection element, coupled between the second terminal of the impedance switching element and the reference voltage, wherein the electrical overstress protection element has noise greater than -70dBm in a frequency range of 10KHz to 10GHz, wherein when in a normal operation, the communication signal release element is controllably turned on to conduct a communication signal to the reference voltage. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
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DHARTI PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/DHARTI H PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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